Boat construction



June 20, 1967 .1. v. YosT 3,326,166

BOAT CONS TRUCT ION Filed Jan. 10, 1966 John V. Yosf INVLNTOR.

WW I6 United States Patent 3,326,166 BOAT CONSTRUCTION John V. Yost, 2233 Riverside, Trenton, Mich. 48183 Filed Jan. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 519,618 11 Claims. (Cl. 114-66.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE senger and/ or screw propeller-type propulsion unit sup-v porting assembly as viewed from the starboard side thereof relative to the hull assembly toward the limit of its clockwise movement.

This invention relates to a novel and useful boat construction and more specifically to a boat construction including substantially horizontally disposed and longitudinally extending planing surfaces and motor support means mounted for limited pivotal movement about a horizontal transverse axis relative to the portion of the hull or boat construction defining the aforementioned horizontal planing surfaces.

Although the boat construction of the instant invention is herein illustrated and described as being of the catamaran-type in that it includes a pair of longitudinally extending and transversely spaced hull members, it is to be noted that the basic concept of the instant invention may be readily incorporated into a conventional single hull boat construction.

The boat construction of the instant invention includes operating characteristics which afford great stability, the ability to more quickly obtain planing speed, softer riding characteristics, and the ability to plane at slower speeds. In addition, if the boat construction of the instant invention is constructed as -a catamaran-type of hull, it also includes the inherent improved handling characteristics normally associated with catamaran-type hulls.

The main object of this invention is to provide a boat construction which will afford passengers a smoother ride.

Another object of this invention is to provide a boat construction in accordance with the immediately preceding object and which additionally includes the improved handling characteristics normally associated with a catamaran-type of hull.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a hull construction which will be capable of more quickly reaching a planing speed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat construction which will be capable of planing at slower speed.

A final object of this invention is to be more specifically enumerated herein is to provide a boat construction in accordance herein is to provide a boat construction in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufcature, be of simple construction and easy to operate so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively inexpensive in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like 3,325,165 Patented June 20, 1967 numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the boat construction of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the boat construction shown with the cockpit portion thereof removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the boat construction illustrating the manner in which the cockpit portion thereof is movably supported from the hull portions thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the boat construction minus its cock-pit portion.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the boat construction of the instant invention which may be seen to include a pair of longitudinally extending and transversely spaced hull members 12 and 14 each including generally horizontally disposed bottom planing surfaces 16.

A support frame generally referred to by the reference numeral 18 includes a main rear transverse member 20 which is pivotally supported from and thereby interconnects the hull members 12 and 14 by means of pairs of hinge assemblies 22 and 24 secured to the hull members 12 and 14 in any convenient manner such as by fasteners 26 and 28, respectively.

The support frame 18 includes a longitudinally extending member 30 secured at its rear end to the mid-portion of the rear transverse member 20 and having a front transverse member 32 secured to its forward end.

Suitable inclined bracing members 34 and 36 have their forward ends secured to opposite side portions of the longitudinal member 31} in any convenient manner such as by welding at a point spaced forwardly of the transverse member 20 and have their rear ends secured to opposite side portions of the lower end of an upstanding plate 38 whose upper edge portion is secured to the undersurface of the central portion of the transverse member 20 in any convenient manner such as by welding. The lower edge portion of the plate 38 includes a forwardly and upwardly directed portion 40 which is generally triangular in configuration and extends beneath and is secured to brace members 34 and 36.

The transverse member 32 is secured to each of the hull members 12 and 14 by means of a pair of hinge assemblies 42 and 44 in a manner allowing for limited up and down oscillation of the forward transverse member 32 of the support frame 18 relative to the forward ends of the hull members 12 and 14. In addition, the transverse member 32 includes a pair of forwardly projecting mounting members 46 to which the upper ends of a pair of shock absorber assemblies 48 are pivotally secured, the lower ends of the shock absorber assemblies 48 being secured to the forward portions of the hull members 12 and 14 by means of mounting blocks 50 secured to the hull members 12 and 14 and to which the lower ends of the shock absorber assemblies 48 are pivotally secured.

It may be seen from FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings that the shock absorber assemblies 48 additionally include expansion springs 52 which normally urge the shock absorber assemblies 48 to their fully extended positions and partially support the weight of the forward end of the support frame 18.

A cockpit assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral is provided and includes opposite side walls 62 and 64 interconnected by means of a front wall 66 and a rear false transom 68. In addition, a seat construction 70 is secured between the side walls 62 and 64 rearwardly of a steering wheel 71 rotatably supported on the cockpit assembly 60.

An outboard motor generally referred to by the reference numeral 72 and of conventional design is clampingly supported to the plate 38 and the transverse member and includes a depending power leg portion 74 which extends downwardly between the rear ends of the hull members 1 2 and 14. It will, of course, be apparent that the outboard motor 72 is mounted for oscillation with the cockpit assembly 60 and the support frame 18 relative to the hull members 12 and 14. If it is desired, different or additional hinge assemblies may be provided in addition to the hinge assemblies 22, 24, 42 and 44. Further, other means, in addition to the hinge assemblies 42 and 44, may be utilized to guidingly support the forward end of the support frame 18 from the forward ends of the hull members 12 and 14.

In operation, it will be readily appreciated that the twin hull configuration of the boat construction 10 will inherently give it riding and operating characteristics similar to other types of catamaran hulls. In addition, since the cockpit assembly 60 is oscillatably supported from the hull members 12 and 14 and the shock absorber assemblies 48 including the compression springs 52 are interconnected between the forward end of the cockpit assembly 69 and the hull members 12 and 14, the ride afforded by the occupants of the cockpit assembly 60 will be softened. Still further, upon initial acceleration caused by the outboard motor 72, the forward end of the cockpit assembly '60 will be swung upwardly as is conventional with any planing hull powered by an outboard motor. However, the generally horizontally disposed planing surfaces 16 of the hull members 12 and 14 will not be as greatly forwardly and upwardly inclined thereby enabling the outboard motor 72 to effect a forward and upward thrust on the entire boat construction 10 without appreciably increasing the angle of attack of the planing surfaces 16 In this manner, the hull members 12 and 14 are not required to climb as much and thereby obtain planing speed more quickly at a slower speed.

In addition to the pivotal mounting of the cockpit assembly 60 providing a means for cushioning the ride afforded passengers within the cockpit assembly 60 as would be the case if the boat construction 10 included a single hull member, inasmuch as the hull members 12 and 14 are supported from the cockpit assembly 69 for individual oscillation relative to the latter, the ride afforded passengers within the cockpit assembly is further cushioned or improved in the same manner in which independent wheel suspension provides for a softer and better controlled ride in a motor vehicle.

In addition to the embodiment of the invention specifically illustrated and described herein, it is also further contemplated that the ability of the boat construction 10 to more quickly obtain planing speed and the ability of the construction 10 to plane at a slower speed could be realized in conventional single hull boat construction by the mounting of outboard motors therefrom for limited oscillation about a transverse axis in a manner such that the outboard motor would have its upper end tilted rearwardly during initial acceleration and then swung forwardly after a planing speed is obtained. This type of mounting of an outboardmotor from a conventional boat hull could be readily accomplished merely by providing a conventional boat hull with an outboard motor support member oscillatably supported from the transom of the boat hull for pivotal movement about a horizontal transverse axis between two limit positions of oscillation and yieldingly urged in a clockwise direction as viewed from the starboard side of the hullconstruction toward its limit position of pivotal movement in that clockwise direction.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A boat construction comprising a logitudinally continuous hull assembly including generally horizontally disposed and longitudinally extending lower planing surfaces, a motor support assembly having a screw propeller-type propulsion unit substantially stationarily supported therefrom, means supporting said motor support assembly from the rear end portion of said hull assembly for limited oscillation about a generally horizontal transverse axis disposed aft of the center of gravity of said motor support assembly and means connected between said assemblies and yieldably resisting clockwise pivotal movement of said motor support assembly as viewed from the starboard side thereof relative to said hull assembly toward the limit of said clockwise movement, the first and second mentioned means being operative to support substantially the entire weight of said motor assembly from said hull assembly.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes means limiting displacement of said support means relative to said hull assembly to less than 20 degrees.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support assembly includes means defining a passenger supporting area disposed forwardly of said axis.

4. A boat construction comprising a hull assembly including generally horizontally disposed and longitudinally extending lower planing surfaces, motor support means, means mounting said motor support means from said hull assembly for limited oscillation about a generally horizontal transverse axis and adapted to support a screw propeller-type propulsion unit therefrom, said means mounting said motor support means including means yieldably urging said support means toward one of two limit positions of oscillation thereof, said passenger supporting assembly extending longitudinally of said hull assembly and said axis being disposed adjacent the rear end of said passenger supporting assembly, the Weight of the forward end portion of said passenger supporting assembly normally urging the forward end thereof downwardly and spring means connected between said passenger supporting assembly and said hull assembly yieldingly resisting downward movement of the forward end of said passenger supporting assembly relative to said hull assembly.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said hull assembly comprises a pair of elongated transversely spaced and longitudinally extending hull members, said mounting means including means pivotally supporting said hull members for individual oscillation about said axis relative to said passenger supporting assembly.

6. A boat construction comprising a hull assembly including generally horizontally disposed longitudinally extending bottom planing surfaces, a passenger supporting assembly extending longitudinally of said hull assembly, mounting means pivotally securing the rear end portion of said passenger supporting assembly to the rear end portion of said hull assembly for limited oscillation about a generally horizontal axis extending transversely of said hull and passenger supporting assembly, and means connected between said assemblies yieldingly resisting clockwise pivotal movement of said passenger supporting assembly as viewed from the starboard side thereof relative to said hull assembly toward the limit of said clockwise movement.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said hull assembly comprises a pair of elongated transversely spaced and longitudinally extending hull members, said mounting means including means pivotally supporting said hull members for individual oscillation about said axis relative to said passenger supporting assembly.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said mounting means includes means limiting the angular displacement of said passenger supporting assembly relative to said hull assembly to less than 20 degrees.

9. The combination of claim 6 wherein said hull assembly comprises a pair of elongated transversely spaced and longitudinally extending hull members, said mounting 5 means including means pivotally supporting said hull members for individual oscillation about said axis relative to said passenger supporting assembly, said mounting means including means defining a pair of aligned and transversely spaced pivot axes of rotation of each of the rear end portions of said hull members relative to said passenger supporting assembly.

10. The combination of claim 6 including a screw propeller-propulsion unit supported from said passenger supporting assembly for oscillation therewith relative to said hull assembly.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein said hull assembly comprises a pair of elongated transversely spaced 6 and longitudinally extending hull members, said mounting means including means pivotally supporting said hull members for individual oscillation about said axis relative to said motor support assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 996,444 6/1911 Varrington 114-61 1,738,979 12/1929 Adelmann 114-61 10 2,077,526 4/1937 Messier 114--66.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 309,915 7/ 1933 Italy.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner. 

1. A BOAT CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS HULL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING LOWER PLANING SURFACES, A MOTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY HAVING A SCREW PROPELLER-TYPE PROPULSION UNIT SUBSTANTIALLY STATIONARILY SUPPORTED THEREFROM, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MOTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FROM THE REAR END PORTION OF SAID HULL ASSEMBLY FOR LIMITED OSCILLATION ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL TRANSVERSE AXIS DISPOSED AFT OF THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID MOTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY AND MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ASSEMBLIES AND YIELDABLY RESISTING CLOCKWISE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MOTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY AS VIEWED FROM THE STARBOARD SIDE THEREOF RELATIVE TO SAID HULL ASSEMBLY TOWARD THE LIMIT OF SAID CLOCKWISE MOVEMENT, THE FIRST AND SECOND MENTIONED MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO SUPPORT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF SAID MOTOR ASSEMBLY FROM SAID HULL ASSEMBLY. 